The Local Palate Newsletter
Sign up to recieve news, updates, recipes, cocktails and web exclusives about food culture in the south

Share this article via email

Subscribe

Subscribe
Save 69% Off of Newsstand Price Now!

Subscribe to The Local Palate
Savor the South eNewsletter Subscribe Send as Gift Customer Service App Store Google Play

Sign up

Sign up to receive fresh recipes, gourmet getaway guides, and other tasty treats in your inbox.

The Local Palate
Search
Newsletter
Beverages / 9.3.15

Lexington, Kentucky — The Best Place in America to Grab a Drink

Advertisement

It may seem like an audacious claim. But the city more widely known as “The Horse Capital of the World” is now making its case for a new distinction.

When you account for the city’s proximity to the world’s finest bourbon distilleries (and resulting cultural influence), its sense of Southern hospitality, its thriving brewing and culinary scene, and the many unique beverage-centric experiences in and around the city …there’s a strong case to be made.

VisitLex and TLP partnered up to take a look at why Lexington, Kentucky is indeed “The Best Place In America to Grab a Drink.”

courtesy of visit lex
You might say that Lexington is to America’s Native Spirit what Napa is to wine. With nine bourbon distilleries within 35 miles of downtown, Lexington makes the perfect home base to explore the world famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
courtesy of visit lex
Pretty much every bar in Lexington is a “bourbon bar.
photo courtesy of visit lex
Lexington has also established an admirable craft brewing movement over the past few years. Make your way along the “Brewgrass Trail” (featuring eight local breweries) and get a taste of some of the inspired brews that have put Lexington on the map for beer.…Where else can you experience two drinking trails in one locale?
Unknown
Lexington has always been known for hospitality. The city’s unique mix of Midwestern sensibilities and Southern charm ensure that wherever you’re grabbing a drink, you’re met with a welcoming smile and maybe an interesting story or two.
Keeneland Spring Meet 2014
They don’t call it “The Horse Capital of the World” for nothing. At Keeneland, one of the world’s finest thoroughbred racetracks, you can spend an afternoon playing the ponies and enjoying the tradition, thrill and beauty of “The Sport of Kings” …all while kicking back with a perfectly crafted bourbon concoction.
GLINTstudios_Cornett_BeyondGrits_0306    
Sit by a campfire, tour a bourbon distillery, sip local craft beer, play darts and cornhole, and finish it off with some delicious craft ice cream…all in one place, the burgeoning Lexington Distillery District. You can grab a drink in an actual beer garden at the Kentucky Native Café, located in the backyard of a historic local florist and greenhouse.
GLINTstudios_LCVB_0298
If wine is your thing, you’re a short drive to more than a dozen wineries. Fun fact: the first commercial vineyard and winery in the US was founded just outside Lexington in 1798.

 

Recommendations for You

Off the Beaten Bourbon Path Off the Beaten Bourbon Path Charleston Brown Water Society Charleston Brown Water Society Shades of Juniper Shades of Juniper Kentucky Bourbon Festival Kentucky Bourbon Festival